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Steve Fellers

A musical ensemble known for its energetic classical performances will be in residency at Henderson State University Oct. 4-5.

The New York Classical Players will conclude their visit with a concert at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 5 in the Russell Fine Arts recital hall. The performance is free and open to the public.

The program includes: Omaggio a Gesualdo for String Orchestra by Eric Nathan; Piano Concerto No. 2 by Chopin, featuring Hee-Kyung Juhn, associate professor of applied piano at Henderson; Concerto for Two Violins in D minor by Bach; and Prelude and Scherzo, Op. 11 by Shostakovich.

Orchestra members will also present a conducting masterclass Oct. 5 at 1:30 p.m. and a string masterclass at 2:30 p.m. A chamber music concert is scheduled for Oct. 4 at 7:30 p.m. All events will be in the recital hall.

“The New York Classical Players (NYCP) are known for energetic performances where the conductor and the small-size ensemble really become one and create exciting music together,” Juhn said. “Some of their YouTube performances have become a sensation around the globe.”

Juhn said she and the ensemble’s conductor, Dongmin Kim, became acquainted as classmates at Indiana University’s school of music.

“We performed together on several occasions, and I remember we often talked about our unknown future as musicians,” she said. “He was also a strong Christian leader in the international student community on campus, and I had a lot of respect for his music and his values.”

Juhn said she is looking forward to collaborating with Kim once again when they perform Chopin’s Piano Concert No. 2.

“It surely will be the highlight of my career at Henderson,” she said.

The New York Classical Players are that region’s only professional orchestra that shares exclusively free performances. Comprised of creative and virtuosic young musicians, NYCP’s adventurous programming shares familiar masterpieces, bold new commissions and unexpected music treasures.

Composer and violinist Philip Wharton and pianist John Krebs will perform at Henderson State University Sept. 26 in a joint guest artist recital.

The free performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Russell Fines Arts recital hall and is open to the public.

Wharton began playing the violin when he was 10 and went on to earn his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Eastman School of Music. He continued his training at the Guildhall in London where he earned an artist’s diploma.

While at Eastman, Wharton also studied composition and continued those studies at The Julliard School.

Krebs holds degrees in piano performance from Northwestern University, The University of Illinois, and the University of Maryland. He has been teaching at Hendrix College in Conway since 1992.

An avid collaborative pianist, Krebs has performed in Canada, Germany, Iceland, Slovenia, Scotland and Thailand.

The duo will perform: Sonata in D Major, Op. 94a by Sergei Prokofiev; Sonata in G Major, Op. 78 by Johannes Brahms; and Games by Wharton.

The recital is presented by the Matt Locke Ellis College of Arts and Sciences and Henderson’s Department of Music

Henderson State University’s Student Government Association (SGA) will host a rally and march Sept. 26 to focus on sexual assault awareness. The “Take Back the Night” event will begin at 8 p.m. on the South Lawn with a welcome address by SGA President Suzanne Sorrells, followed immediately by a march around campus.

Participants will return to the South Lawn for a rally and music provided by a DJ.

Take Back the Night is an international event and non-profit organization with the mission of ending sexual, relationship, and domestic violence in all forms. Hundreds of events are held in more than 30 countries annually. Events often include marches, rallies and vigils intended as a protest and direct action against rape and other forms of sexual, relationship and domestic violence.

Henderson State University Theatre will present five performances of I am Emily Doe at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 3, 5, 6, and 7, and at 4 p.m. on October 4. All performances are in Arkansas Hall Studio Theatre. A reception will follow the opening night performance.

I am Emily Doe is an original script written by Magee-Lee Preston, a junior theatre major from The Colony, Texas. It began as a project in Preston’s fall 2016 playwriting class and has continued development through a public reading and a workshop production last spring. The production will be Henderson’s entry in this year’s Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

A chilling, dramatic retelling of the events in the Brock Turner rape case, I am Emily Doe follows the courageous victim, Emily Doe, in her journey to recovery. The play explores the societal pressures that inhabit college campuses around the country and the rape culture that is webbed throughout our society.

The cast of the Henderson production includes Reagan Hammonds of Benton, LaDarius Jamerson of Fort Smith, Joseph Kalinowski of Searcy, Dakota Mansfield of Benton, Madi Moore of Newport Beach, California, Savannah Reynolds of Monticello, and Jacey Russell of Morrilton.

The play is under the direction of Claudia Beach, director of theatre at Henderson, with scenic design by Doug Gilpin, professor of theatre. Lighting design is by Jennings Johnson of Heber Springs, and costume design by Tyler Felton of Batesville. The stage manager is Nicholas Bius of Benton.

The HSU Theatre Box Office in Arkansas Hall will be open for advance ticket sales from 1-4 p.m. beginning Monday, Sept. 25. All seats are reserved. Admission is $10, or free with an HSU student ID, courtesy of the Student Activities Board.

The play is recommended for mature audiences.

For more information or reservations, call 870-230-5291, or e-mail theatre@hsu.edu.

Henderson State’s Teachers College was named No. 18 in the country for two Master of Science in Education (MSE) degrees – educational leadership and technology education. The college earned an overall score of 7.37 out of 10 on the AffordableColleges.com value scale, which helps future students determine the potential return on their educational investment.

The value scale weighs criteria, such as loan default rates, graduation rates and financial aid data, to draw a distinction between the programs that appear cheap up-front and those that will pay off in the long run. When calculating the rankings, the organization uses the most recent data available from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to create a 1-10 rating system. The closer a school is to a 10, the more value it offers its students.

“Earning a master’s degree in educational leadership can help teachers differentiate themselves when working for career advancement,” said Teachers College Dean Dr. Celya Taylor. “Our programs allow students to maintain their current jobs and take care of other responsibilities while they create new opportunities for themselves and their families.”

Henderson State recently made these programs even more affordable for out-of-state educational professionals with a lower out-of-state tuition rate. Now, professionals from neighboring states are able to achieve their educational dreams at an even better value.

“Our out-of-state tuition – now $336 per credit hour for graduate students – is comparable to many others in surrounding states,” said Graduate School Dean Dr. Ken Taylor. “The lower tuition will allow even more educational professionals to achieve their career goals on their own terms.”

Katie Kilponen aspired to be a dietetics major when she enrolled at Henderson State University in 2012. But when she attended a fashion merchandising class, she quickly changed her mind.

“I immediately fell in love with it after attending one class,” she said. “After graduating and looking back on all the classes I took during my time at Henderson, the only classes I truly enjoyed and where the homework didn’t feel like homework were my fashion merchandising classes.

“Every class I went to, I was eager to learn more, and that’s when I knew fashion merchandising was the right degree for me.”

During her senior year, Kilponen completed an internship with Dillard’s in Hot Springs. Not long after her internship ended, Kilponen decided to pursue a career with the Arkansas-based department store chain.

“I loved how involved the company was with each and every employee, as well as its clients,” she said. “It was around November when I then became an assistant sales manager for the shoe department. I would help manage and guide associates when the manager was not there.”

It wasn’t long until Kilponen became the juniors’ manager, and was soon tapped to run the children’s department. Three months later, she was promoted to assistant manager and transferred to the Park Plaza Dillard’s in Little Rock.

“Without my degree from Henderson, I would not have progressed as fast in my career,” Kilponen said. “Fashion is a forever changing industry and that’s what I love about it. We are constantly adapting to the environment we live in and fashion is no exception.” [Read more…] about Fashion merchandising shapes Kilponen’s career

Internationally acclaimed author Jon Ronson spoke at Henderson State Sept. 20 about his book So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed.

In the book, Ronson investigates the obsession with social media and its sometimes disastrous impact on lives and collective conscience.

Ronson’s books The Psychopath Test,Lost at Sea, and The Men Who Stare At Goats have all been international and/or New York Times best sellers.

The Men Who Stare At Goats has been adapted into a movie and Ronson himself has done script writing for Netflix and award winning documentaries.

Ronson’s appearance was part of Henderson’s fall Reddie Read program which was started in fall 2006 with Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. Through reading and discussing a common book, everyone on campus has the opportunity to engage in formal and informal discussions about issues of importance in today’s world.